Hot Stamper Pressings of the Music of Loggins and Messina Available Now
UPDATE 2026
It took us a long time to recognize it, I can tell you that. 30 years? Maybe even more.
And how about the boost to the low end?
This commentary is from many years ago, perhaps as far back as 2010.
Of course it could not have been written until the stereo had reached the level where these anomalies and others like them could be easily recognized, the clearest kind of evidence of progress in audio.
If you’re not noticing these kinds of things on the vintage vinyl you play, then it’s probably time for a serious upgrade or two.
The anomalies are there, of that there can be no doubt. They’re everywhere. You just need a more accurate and revealing system and room to show them to you.
In that respect, you my find our shootout notes are helpful at pointing you in the right direction as to what you should be listening for. They are especially helpful in recognizing when one side or another falls short in some specific area.
Practically any copy of Sittin’ In will have a bit of a boost in the bottom end. The kick drum really kicks on this album, more than it should in fact.
And almost all copies have too much top end right around 10k. The ones with the worst case of boosted highs and boosted bass sound like they were mastered by Stan Ricker, much like those put out by a famous label starting in the 70s.
Oddly enough, many audiophiles to this day do not seem to know that this particular label has been responsible for a slough of the phoniest sounding audiophile records ever pressed.
There is also a sibilance problem with the recording. Some copies keep it under control, while others, more crudely mastered and pressed, suffer greatly from spitty vocals, especially noticeable on Danny’s Song. The better copies will tend to have the “cleanest,” least-objectionable sibilance.
Sibilance is a bitch. The best pressings, with the most extension up top and the least amount of aggressive grit and grain mixed in with the music, played using the highest quality properly set up front ends, will keep sibilance to a minimum.
VTA, tracking weight, azimuth and anti-skate adjustments are critical to reducing the spit in your records.
We discuss the sibilance problems of MoFi records all the time.
Have you ever read Word One about this problem elsewhere?
Of course not.
Audiophiles and the hacks that write for them just seem to be willing to put up with these problems, or theyignore them, or — even worse — fail to recognize them at all. (The latter case is by far the most likely of the three.)
Play around with your table setup for a few hours and you will no doubt be able to reduce the severity of the sibilance on your favorite test and Demo Discs. All your other records will thank you for it too.
Back to Sittin’ In
The best copies manage to keep the EQ anomalies within bounds, while giving the listener full-bodied pianos; rich, lively vocals, full of presence and brimming with enthusiasm; harmonically-rich guitars; and a three-dimensional soundstage revealing the space around them all.
Sittin’ In is one of the records that helped me dramatically improve the quality of my system, along with scores of others you can read about here on the blog.
Want to find your own top quality copy?
Consider taking our moderately helpful advice concerning the pressings that tend to win our shootouts.
Based on our experience, Sittin In’ sounds its best:
Discography
1972 – Sittin’ In
1972 – Loggins & Messina
1973 – Full Sail
1974 – On Stage [live]
1974 – Mother Lode
1975 – So Fine (for die-hards only)
1976 – Native Sons (skip it)
1977 – Finale (skip it)
Robert Brook runs a blog called The Broken Record, with a subtitle explaining that his blog is:
